Shahid keen on Priyanka for Ishq Vishk 2

Ishq Vishk 2 can also mark the directorial debut of Ratna Pathak Shah.

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Saswati Sanyal

New Delhi

September 2, 2010

UPDATED: September 2, 2010 11:49 IST

Shahid Kapur is all set for the sequel of his debut film Ishq Vishk, and the buzz is that the actor wants Priyanka Chopra as his heroine in the new film. The original film had Amrita Rao as Shahid's heroine.

The sequel, tentatively titled Ishq Vishk 2, could also mark the directorial debut of Naseeruddin Shah's wife Ratna Pathak Shah, according to reports.

However, Ishq Vishk producer Ramesh Taurani of Tips Films, who is also producing the sequel, has said the entire cast and crew of the film cannot be confirmed right away.

If Shahid has his way, this will be his second film with Priyanka after Vishal Bhardwaj's hit film Kaminey. The reason Shahid prefers Priyanka over Amrita is obvious.

The actor shared good chemistry with Priyanka, one of the top stars in the industry at present, in Kaminey. Also, the media as well as fans have been excited about their reported off-screen affair.

Shahid Kapur wants Priyanka Chopra to star in the sequel of his debut movie Ishk Vishk.

"Shahid has been in a relationship with Priyanka for a while now. Although they have not spoken about it openly, they do want to take it forward on and off the screen," a source close to both the actors revealed.

"Priyanka is protective of Shahid and they are neighbours, too. A new movie together would be the right thing to do. The industry has seen a lot of dating couples doing films together, so this trend is not new," the source said.

On the other hand, Amrita has by and large failed to make an impact in Bollywood after her hit debut by way of Ishq Vishk in 2003. Even her pairing with Shahid in films such as Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi, Shikhar and Vivah didn't click.

The buzz that Priyanka could be Shahid's heroine in Ishq Vishk 2 comes in the wake of rumours that Shahid and Priyanka are once again getting cosy. Bhardwaj also plans to cast them again in the sequel of Kaminey. Officially, of course, those close to Shahid are not willing to confirm the reports yet.

"As of now, Shahid has signed no new film with Priyanka," the actor's spokesperson Parull Gossain said.

But a close friend of the actor said such talks were indeed on.

"I have heard about plans of a sequel to Ishq Vishk and that Shahid is trying to pitch Priyanka in the lead. They share great chemistry on and off the screen, after all," he said.

Reports say Shahid is in no mood to take chances with Ishq Vishk 2. So much so, that he has asked producer Taurani to avoid having Ken Ghosh as director of the sequel.

Ghosh, who was once a close friend of Shahid, had directed the actor in Ishq Vishk as well as subsequent duds such as Fiza and Chance Pe Dance. The failures of these two films have reportedly made Shahid wary of working with Ghosh in Ishq VIshk 2. On his part, the director said not long ago: "Ishq Vishk is very close to my heart and it was a script that worked for me from day one. But I can't promise anything for the future." Ghosh could not be contacted for his comment on Shahid's reported reluctance to work with him again.

On Ratna Pathak Shah directing the sequel, Taurani said: "Ratna did speak to me about making a film for us, but nothing concrete has been decided so far."

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